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Prepositions with nouns

How to use prepositions with army

Army appears with several prepositions depending on meaning. Some combinations are fixed, while others depend on the wider sentence.

Quick answer

Common combinations with army

Use in the army to talk about military service. Army of introduces a type or group, such as an army of volunteers. By army and with army are not standard fixed noun patterns, though they may appear as separate adjuncts in a sentence.

She served in the army for six years.
An army of reporters surrounded the actor.
They raised money for the army.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
in the army

Talking about military service

Use in the army when someone belongs to or serves in the military.

Her grandfather was in the army during the war.
2
army of + people/things

Describing a large group

Use army of figuratively for a large number of people or things.

An army of volunteers cleaned the park.
3
for the army

Showing purpose or recipient

Use for the army when something is intended for military use or support.

The factory produced vehicles for the army.
4
by the army

Showing the agent of an action

Use by the army when the army performs an action in a passive sentence.

The bridge was repaired by the army.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
army of
An army of fans waited outside.
a large group of people or things
in the army
He spent ten years in the army.
serving as a soldier
for the army
The company designed uniforms for the army.
intended for military use
by the army
The area was protected by the army.
the army acts as the agent in a passive structure
with the army
She travelled with the army medical team.
with usually expresses accompaniment, not a fixed complement of army

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in army without an article

Use in the army in standard English.

✕ He was in army for five years. ✓ He was in the army for five years.

Treating by army as a fixed phrase

By the army usually belongs to a passive clause, not a noun pattern.

✕ They discussed the by army strategy. ✓ They discussed the strategy used by the army.

Using with army for membership

Use in the army for service or membership.

✕ She worked with army during the conflict. ✓ She served in the army during the conflict.

Forgetting the article after army of

Army of is followed by a plural noun or collective expression.

✕ An army of volunteer arrived. ✓ An army of volunteers arrived.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. My aunt served ___ for eight years.
2. An ___ photographers followed the celebrity.
3. The road was cleared ___ after the storm.

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Frequently asked questions

Do we say in army or in the army?

Standard English uses in the army.

What does army of mean?

It describes a very large group of people or things.

Is with the army correct?

Yes, when meaning accompanying or associated with the army, but not usually for military membership.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

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